Beauty and the Geek

Chapter four

The class filed out and I went towards the bench I was meeting Ino at. She was already there and I ran up to her and leapt on her from behind. Ino yelped and turned around.

'Sakura!' she pushed me off 'What an entrance!'

'I know right? It's my thing'

'Well, let's go jah?'

'jah'

We both turned around and walked straight into Sasuke, who had been behind me after leaving geography.

'Watch it'

'S-sorry' Ino stuttered

'Hn' Again with the 'hn'!

Sasuke mooched off.

'What's with him?' Ino asked me as we started walking.

'He's always like that'

'You know him that much?'

'I'm next to him in 5 lessons. He's grumpy as hell'

'I always thought he seemed more cocky than grumpy'

'He's both'

'Is that possible?'

'He makes it possible'

'Well, good luck sitting within ten feet of him. I'm glad I'm not in your shoes'

'Thanks, that really makes me feel better'

'You're welcome' the conversation stopped there for a while as we walked down the drive, getting closer to the buses lined up outside the school gates.

'So, what bus are we getting to town?'

'233. It gets a little crowded on Fridays, so keep your skirt low'

'Are you suggesting pervs going up my skirt?'

'Maybe'

'Well at least it shows I am gorgeous, unlike you Ino pig'

'OI! Watch your mouth you. And anyway, everyone knows that I am the most beautiful girl in the world. You tell that to the creepy perverted old man eyeing you up'

'I'll do just that'

We hopped off the bus after a no-so-perverted experience after all and walked into town. Hinata was right about all the bitchy people being in town, they were swarming everywhere.

'So, where's this shop then?'

'Inside the shopping centre'

'Okay. Oh...! I forgot to ask, how much money did you bring?'

'About £50'

'FIFTY POUNDS?'

'What? I haven't bought anything in ages.'

'You bought that hoodie last week!'

'Oh right, well that doesn't count'

'Why not!'

'It was old birthday vouchers that i needed to spend'

'Is that your excuse?'

'It's not an excuse'

'Sure, i believe you'

'Well, how much did you bring?'

'Like, £15'

'Be grateful it's a sale! Otherwise you wouldn't be able to get hardly anything with that much, with prices being what they are. You know, in the shop right next to it, it's like £8 for a single bracelet!'

'Who would pay that anyway?'

'Fashion people'

'What like you?'

'Yeah, but I wouldn't go that o.t.t.'

We entered into the shopping centre through the great big automatic doors. It was warmer inside and there was music playing.

'Ahh, nice and warm!' Said Ino, reading my mind.

We made our way through the complex, going up and down escalators and through various food courts until we reached the bigger shops in the middle of the mall.

'There it is' Ino pointed out, grabbing my arm as we rushed over.

'Up to 80% off' I read to myself looking at all the signs plastered around the shop. I wonder how much I could buy. We went inside and were greeted by hauls of people of all ages grabbing whatever they could from everywhere.

'Welcome to the end of winter sales Sakura' Ino crossed her arms and observed the scene 'It ain't pretty'

We spent the afternoon wrestling through crowds of people to get at the £1 pants and £2 scarves. Although i didn't really 'do' dresses I caught my eye on a beautiful dress going cheap. I charged towards it, hoping that no one else was going to get over to it first. To my luck, I grabbed it without competition, but my heart sunk when I saw the size was too small for me.

But it looked so nice...

'Hey Ino, if I try this on can you tell me if it looks okay?'

'Yeah sure, hey- let go!' she said to me whilst grabbing a pair of shoes that someone else had already latched onto.

I went into the dressing room, holding my dress tightly, as if some hungry shopper was to leap out from behind a clothing rack at any second and snatch it off me. I went into an available room and stripped off.

The time has come I thought to myself as I eyed the pretty dress. I stepped into it, okay, so far so good. After barely pulling it over my hips and boobs I did it up at the back and looked in the mirror. My first thought was, 'tight much?' it looked alright. It made by butt look big though. If only it wasn't as tight. It came up to mid thigh and clung to my body like the shoppers outside to a bargain pair of shoes. I moved about a bit, it was uncomfortable as it was so tight and my legs couldn't move that far apart. Damn. Well, I would show Ino anyway.

'Ino!' I stuck my head outside, keeping the rest of me hidden by the curtain. 'Where are you?'

'I'm here!' She came trotting over, carrying a mountain of clothes. I rolled my eyes.

'Are you buying all that?'

'I must take advantage of sales. Anyway, let's see!'

'Okay, but, let me warn you it's way too small'

'I'm sure it's fine, and small equals good, it shows...' she hesitated 'feminine curves'

I removed the curtain awkwardly.

'It makes my butt look big' was the first thing I said. Ino squealed.

'Turn around!' I did a little twist on the wooden floor; keeping in mind I wasn't wearing anything on my feet.

'It looks good! It brings out your inner sexy'

'I didn't know I had one of those'

'Every girl does!'

'What are you? Barbie?' I laughed, looking in the mirror again.

'You could say that' Ino walked over to me, adjusting the dress a bit.

'It looks so good on you'

'...And my butt?'

'...Looks of average size' she winked and made a heart with her hands.

'Its quite tight though. Do you think they'd have it in a smaller size?'

'I'll go ask the man. Hey- you've got to come as well'

'But i'm not decent!'

'You're wearing clothes, now come on!' She dragged me by the arm down the hall lined with dressing rooms tntill we reached the end where the 'man' stood.

'Hey, can we get this dress in a larger size please?' Ino smiled kindly at the man and pointed towards me. He averted his gaze to my body and i couldn't help but feel a little uncomfortable by the staring.

'Yeah, let me go check' He pushed himself off against the wall he was leaning on and went in to the storeroom.

'Ino!'

'What?'

'Did you see the way he looked at me?'

'Was there lust in his dark eyes?'

'If lust means perverted thoughts'

'What is it with you and perverts?'

'I don't know, they seem to follow me'

'Well, if you feel self conscious about your womanly curves go back and get dressed.'

'But I can't be bothered' I stamped my feet like a child.

'There's your answer' she looked up as the 'man' came back in with the dress in a larger size.

'Thank you' Ino winked at him, not that he seemed taken aback, and we went back down the aisle.

'Okay, hopefully this will be better' she chucked the dress over to me and i went back inside the cubicle. After changing with a bit more grace this time i looked in the mirror. Not bad. I gave my reflection a little wink. The dress was gorgeous: It went just the right distance up my thigh to be sexy but not slutty, the colour was a really deep green and matched my eyes. It showed off my curves and for once in my life i felt like a true woman.

I decided to tell Ino.

'Ino! I look like a woman!' She laughed before replying

'Thank goodness for that! Let me see!'

I pushed away the curtain dramatically and she squealed again.

'Sakura! You do look like a woman! You're getting it, yeah?'

'After that, can i not?'

As we were queuing in the still over crowded shop the bitchy people began to start picking through some clothes. I saw Karin, my personal rival picking through the clearance bra's. Is there such thing as a D cup? Because she was looking at one.

I tried to keep an open mind upon seeing them, they were females too. They could go shopping freely whenever they wanted, without me 'judging' them.

After buying our clothes we decided to go to the food court. And as expected, opposite the hall from us were a rather large group of the bitchy people. So Ino and I tried our best to blank them out. I couldn't help but notice that Sasuke was among them, along with Naruto, Kiba and Neji, along with Karin and her minions.

Sasuke was talking to Naruto whilst slurping on a coke. They were all chatting away, some sitting on the tables, some on chairs, laughing amongst themselves. I looked over at Ino, who had also been looking at them.

'Hey, Ino'

'Yeah?'

'Do you think they're all as bad as they make out to be?' I stirred my milkshake around with my straw.

'No...' she paused 'I think it's just an act to be popular or whatever their aim is'

'Yeah'

'I mean, their friendships and relationships aren't based on truth, like ours. True friends know what we're really like. But that can't be who they really are'

'Best friends forever!' I chimed with a grin.

We did our little knuckle punch secret hand shake and finished our drinks before leaving for the day. I sneaked a glance at them again as we were going up the escalator away from the food court. There was something about them, it was just a completely different way of life for them as it was for other people. I overheard that Karin gets up at 5am to get ready.

What does that tell us?

I wonder what it would be like to be one of them. 'Probably a lot of hassle' i told myself, constantly checking yourself in the mirror and having to pay lots of money on keeping up with the latest fashion and iPods, and that isn't even the half of it. I looked down at them, all chatting away to one another. Naruto was talking to Sasuke, and i looked at him, with his black hoodie over his uniform and now some girl on his lap. How different we are I thought, and I looked away.

I said goodbye to Ino and went to catch the bus home. I looked at my watch, i was on time. I then noticed that i was only carrying my school bag, where was my shopping? In a panic i looked in both my hands and back the way i had came along the street. Did i leave it in the food court? Oh no...

I would have to hurry if i didn't want to miss the bus. I mentally rolled up my sleeves. Right, get in there, grab the bag and get back out, all within a few minutes. I took a deep breath and started my quicker than normal walk back into the mall, past several shops, down the escalator and back into the main food court. Where we just were. I looked over to the table i was sitting at.

Where was the bag? I looked over at where 'they' were sitting; they were all getting up and putting their coats on. I looked closer, wait- Why did Naruto have my bag? Did he steal it? Was he going to hand it in? Was he just looking through it? Did anyone else know?

I calmed myself down and slowly approached him, drawing up all my confidence as i walked towards them. Sasuke's saw me, and he tapped Naruto's shoulder, making him turn around. Naruto's eyes widened and he smiled, holding out the bag to me.

'I am guessing this is yours?'

'Yeah...thanks' I smiled awkwardly and reached out, taking the bag. What did I say now? Do i just walk away? I could feel some of the others starting to look round at the absence of noise coming from Naruto.

'Thanks' I repeated again, turning away to get back to the bus stop.

'Don't leave it next time sakura' I turned around and nodded, smiling awkwardly again, even though i knew it was a stupid thing to do concerning the situation, i looked at Sasuke as i turned away, and was that he was looking straight at me. A little taken aback by the eye contact i scuttled away up the escalator back towards the bus stop, i could hear them laughing again, whether or not it was about me I didn't know, and frankly, right now i didn't care, I just had to get on the bus.

As i came out of the mall onto the street i was horrified to see that the bus was already at the stop, i tried to run over to it, but it had already srarted pulling away, so i slowed and watched it as my ride home disappeared into the traffic.

Great.

Now how am I going to get home without waiting an hour for the next bus? I looked around for something, i didn't know what. Maybe a genie would pop out of the ground and give me a ride. I think that was going through my head. I just wanted to get home.

I trudged over to the bus stop: a post with a timetable stuck to it. I squinted at the times. Yeah, as I thought the next bus was in another hour. I didn't have enough money for a cab, Ino was probably half way home by now and my parents were working.

I guess i'll just have to wait. I got out my phone from my bag and called my mum to tell her what happened and then i had no option but to stand there for a whole hour. I watched the cars go past and i looked at the shops opposite the bus stop. Within seconds i was bored out of my brain. I looked at my watch and to my dismay a minute hadn't even passed yet.

I felt like shouting and stamping my feet, but that isn't wise in a public place when your 15 years old. I looked up at the sky and saw that, with a jolt of horror, it was turning grey.

Please don't rain. Please don't rain.

I felt a little splash of wet on my nose and soon enough it started to rain. I didn't have an umbrella and my coat didn't have a hood. PERFECT.

I stood, miserable, tired and wet for another 10 minutes, until the rain started to really pour down. My hair was now sopping wet and the top half of me was nearly soaked through. As the sky grew darker I began to start feeling the cold as well. Why did I not think to bring an umbrella today? I looked down at my shopping bag and prayed my dress wasn't going to get wet.

After another 10 minutes i was completely soaked, like i had just jumped into a lake and got out. Many people around me were getting equally wet, but their buses came quickly. I thought about going to stand in a shop for the next 40 minutes, but I couldn't go in their this wet and just stay there and not buy anything.

I sulked deeper into myself, staring at the watery road and looking at all the bright lights reflected in them. I comforted myself with the thought of a warm bath when I got home...IF I ever got home.

I can picture it now, the famous girl who waited for the rest of her life for the bus that never came, wandering the streets in vain to find her way home. I could become a national symbol.

I stopped my stupid yet entertaining thoughts, as I heard an increase in noise and laughter and looked up, to my disgust 'they' were walking past the bus stop; they all had hoods on and umbrella's up. I envied them as they walked past, not noticing me thank god. I looked back down again, checking my watch before going back to my sulking/spacing out.

Then, all of a sudden the rain stopped falling around me, i wasn't sure if i imagined it, but i stuck out my hand and no rain landed on it. I looked up and saw Sasuke just standing there next to me with an umbrella. I went extremely red upon seeing him this close and i didn't know what to say. We both stood under the umbrella for a while, looking forward. I was going to say something, but he spoke first.

'Do you need an umbrella sakura?' he said quietly

'M-maybe...'

'Why don't you have one if it's raining?'

'I-I forgot'

'You need to look after yourself more Sakura, first you almost forgot your stuff, and now you're soaking wet' he looked down at me and i couldn't help but feel small and pathetic, with no decent excuse to my stupid actions today.

'Sorry'

'Why're you apologising to me?' he's right, why did I just apologise? Instead of replying with my common phrase 'i don't know' I remained silent.

'Are you cold?' he pressed on.

'N-no. I'm fine, you can go' Why was he standing next to me? Shouldn't he be with his friends?

'You're shivering'

'W-why are you concerned anyway?' I looked up at him, straight into his eyes. He shrugged before answering casually

'I thought you looked like you needed a hand. I guess I owe you a little after the drawing lessons today' he put his free hand that wasn't holding the umbrella into his pocket.

'That was nothing'

'This is nothing. I can't just let you get pneumonia and die can I?'

'I'm not going to die. I'm just a bit wet'

'You're soaking Sakura, and you're cold. And you're alone. I know I don't really know you but if you get ill I'm going to feel guilty' my eyes widened, taken aback by his words, he would feel guilty if i were to get ill because of this?

'D-do you always do this kind of thing?' I asked, wondering if he did this for every wet and cold person he saw waiting for a bus.

He smirked a little 'I think you're the first'

'And why is that' i questioned slyly

'Because most people remember their umbrellas' that shut me up.

I continued to stand there with Sasuke, looking down the road for my bus. I had plenty of time to think about what had just happened. Sasuke Uchiha, the one I had thought to be a complete bell end (excuse my French) had showed some kindness. out of the eye sight of his 'friends'. I ran it over and over in my head the situation i was in. To make sure it was really I had to keep on glancing to my right to see Sasuke, changing the song on his iPod frequently. I couldn't help but smell him when I breathed in, he smelt really nice, not solid aftershave like most guys of his 'type' but more of a fresh linen kind of smell. Whatever it was it was damn nice.

I hope he didn't notice my increase in breathing.

'You don't have to do this, you can go home if you want' I said, breaking the silence that had grown.

'I know that, but as I said, I can't just leave you by yourself'

I continued to look down the road for a while, and seeing no signs of the bus, a leaned back a little, facing across the street now, instead of to the right, down the road. Out of the corner of my eye i could see Sasuke's chest moving up and down as he breathed, and I realised that I only came up to his shoulders, either he was too tall or I was just too short, probably a mix of both, he was tall-ish and I was definitely short.

His arm must be growing tired from holding the umbrella all this time, so i offered to hold it, but after holding it at my height and him having to crouch down a little too much he said he would continue to hold it instead.

'What's in the bag?' he asked, obviously bored out of his mind, and i didn't blame him.

'...Clothes'

'What kind'

'Urm...a dress'

'A dress?'

'What?'

'Nothing, I just don't picture you as a dress person' he said, looking for another song to listen to on his iPod.

'I'm not. But this dress was really nice' I looked down at my bag and saw a shimmer of deep green. I smiled as i ran through in my mind places i could wear my nice new dress to...a party? Most parties of mine, and my friends involved a movie night and a sleepover when we ended up going to bed in the early hours of the morning after spending the whole night talking and playing truth or dare and stuffing ourselves with microwave popcorn. It was never an actual party. The last party I went to was when I was about 10 years old for a birthday.

I had never been to a proper party, with loud music and lots of people and alcohol and dancing, and i wasn't entirely sure i wanted to go to one particularly either. I was happy with things they were, though, as I boarded the bus as it finally pulled up at the stop, said goodbye and thank you to Sasuke and found a seat I don't think that things will stay the way they are for long. As the bus pulled away Sasuke gave me a little wave and i waved back. Like-wise to Sasuke, I fished out my iPod and leaned back in my seat, letting the music flow through me as the bus drove me home.

I think a friendship was starting to grow here, even if it was only one that grew in the shade, away from the eyes of others. Sasuke seemed more...open when he wasn't around other people, or maybe I'm just imagining it. Whatever the case, I think I got to know him a little more today, in more ways than one.

Was it just me or was that really long? Well, sorry it's late but duty calls ;) I hope you enjoyed the chapter! And I hope you feel things are starting to get somewhere ;) I assure you, the best is yet to come

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I look forward to updating soon! And just out of curiosity, whats your favorite milkshake flavour? ;) xx